Thankful

I’ve just updated my Stories Tab because I’ve had some wonderful news lately. I’ve had short stories accepted by Bewildering Stories, by Abyss and Apex Magazine, and my story “Tamaki and the Fox” — set in the same Post-Firestorm world as my novel — has been named as a finalist in the Baltimore Science Fiction Society Amateur Contest 2013. I just submitted a story to a magazine that might be the first chapter of a sequel to my novel.

Then, today, I received the e-mail that knocked me out. An agent wants to read my full manuscript. I’m not even putting that in all caps because I can’t quite believe it. Don’t get me wrong. I realize this is a baby step. But, I’ve NEVER GOTTEN HERE BEFORE. And, I’m so thankful. Seriously, this feels like a miracle to me, like God gave me a wink (and some super-duper readers to help me).

My friend Amber gave me a book titled one thousand gifts by Ann Voskamp. It’s been changing my life. Normally I’m a fast reader, but this is taking me months to read because I’m trying to grow through her words, to look with fresh eyes on my daily life. If you haven’t read this book, I challenge you to do it.

I don’t need fresh eyes to be thankful for this request for my novel. To be thankful to my critique group and my friends who spend time reading my drafts. To Isabel who catches caterpillars with my twins so that I can send off more query letters. To my husband who goes to work every day so I can write — especially through the years that nothing happened.

I don’t know that this is it, but I’m thankful to experience this joy and hope.